Jean-Pierre Houel/The Bridgeman Art Library/Getty Images

Today, France still celebrates Bastille Day. When the people stormed the Bastille, Louis finally got the hint that revolution was nigh.

 

​ What happened during the Storming of the Bastille?

On 14 July 1789, a large group of angry craftsmen and salesman who wanted to fight back, stole over 28,000 rifles and arched to the state prison of Paris, known as The Bastille (the large castle-like building shown in source 1). But during the storming, the prison actually only held 7 prisoners. The storming of the Bastille symbolically marked the beginning of the French Revolution. Where the monarchy was overthrown and a republic set up based on the new ideas of how the hierarchy is not representing social equality. In France, the storming of the Bastille is still celebrated each year as a national holiday because it was a day of independence; where the peasants rose up against the royals.

 

 Who might have supported this event?

People of the third estate would have supported the event because they wished to rise up to the king because of the crazy taxes they were paying. This estate involved 98% of the population so this event would have had a great amount of supporters.

 

Source 2:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A colored engraving shows the runaway royal family busted by French democrats. King Louis and Marie Antoinette were apprehended in Varennes, just miles from the Austrian border. Some say the strong scent of the queen's perfume gave their whereabouts away.

 

 

What does the above photo indicate about King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette?

Because of the angry faces on the people in the photo along with the threat of a gun and other weapons such as a hammer and broom, this indicates they were hated by everyone because of how worthless they were.

 

Why were they being arrested?

They were being arrested because of their attempt to escape from the political crisis and also they spent the countries money on expenses for themselves, not caring about their citizens. They knew that their slack roles as King and Queen were now evident so they fled from the country and got to the border before they were recognized and then sent back to Paris.

 

Source 3:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this engraving, titled "The Awakening of the Third Estate," an aristocrat and clergyman are horrified to see a man casting off the shackles of his class. Theorist Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes wrote that "Nothing can succeed without [the Third Estate]."

 

​​Which estates do the three men represent in the above photograph?

The man on the ground represents the Third Estate, the estate on the bottom of the hierarchy. This group was the most poverty stricken because of the high taxes they had to pay, even though they were the poorest. The other two men represent Clergy and Nobility, the higher status in the hierarchy. 

 

What message is being portrayed about the Estate System in the photograph? Provide evidence from the photo.

As seen in the photo, the man on the ground who represents the third estate is casting off his own shackles which represents the independence of the poor; standing up to the higher statuses. The men above him are looking frightened and shocked because ideas of the lower status rising gup against those in the higher classes wasn’t even heard of and was a new concept for them.  

 

Source 4:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This watercolor image on cardstock shows the motley assortment of people to whom the French Revolution gave a voice.

 

​Identify the following for the above photograph; who is being represented in this picture?

 “To whom the French Revolution gave a voice” means the French Revolution gave those who have been living in silence, who haven’t had the opportunity to have their say, now have that opportunity and are standing up.

 

What important event might this photograph represent?

This photo may represent the Tennis Court Oath. This was when many Third Estate members got locked out of an Estates General meeting so they went to the tennis court in order to discuss and organize their rebellion. The Oath was a pledge signed by 576 of the 577 members from the Third Estate on 20 June, 1789.

Source 5:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is meant by French Liberty and British Slavery?

French Liberty means that the French people who are being freed but in this photo it means how the poorest French people had no food compared to the higher classes such as a King or Queen. The higher classes are represented in the British Slavery, where you can see the large dinner prepared for just himself.

 

Use the source to give examples of why these images are mocking the French Revolution.

This is mocking the revolution because of how it describes the British as slaves even though they had much more than what a real slave did, as you can see in th eimage, the british had plenty. The same goes with the French Liberty,  it was actually the opposite, the poorest French citizens didn’t have liberty, or freedom.  

 

Last Question:

Refer to at least 3 of the above sources in your answer, explain (in your own words) why the French Revolution was considered a period of violence and bloodshed but also brotherhood and liberty.

 The French revolution was a period of blood and violence because people had very strong hatred towards others such as the peasants to the King and Queen. Because of this hatred they wished for them to be guillotined, as well as many others during the revolution. This is shown in source 2 where the Third Estate is showing their hatred for King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. But the revolution was also a period of brother hood and liberty because of how those who lived in silence finally stood up with the rest of  their supporters in order for change. You can tell this because of the image of the Tennis Oath. This was an event that brought the Third Estate together and how they rose up together. They stood up by having ideas out of the box; ideas that no one had ever heard of. As seen in source 3, the higher classes are shocked because of these ideas and that’s what sparked the French Revolution.